Keeping files safe in Google Drive is super important. That's why Drive uses Google’s highly-secure, custom-built data centers to store your photos, videos, and other documents. But it’s not just fences, cameras, and lasers that keep things safe — it’s people. It's the software engineers and 500+ security experts at Google, along with a network of independent researchers, who live and breathe data security.

Our research grant program is one way independent security researchers contribute to Google’s data security. We're grateful for their efforts to keep Google Drive safe, so next year we’re dedicating $1,000,000 to fund even more grants for independent security research. Separately, we’ll continue to offer up to $20,000 to anyone who finds and reports a qualifying issue. The end result of these ongoing efforts is a product that — unlike your garden-variety hard drive — actually gets better over time.

This holiday season, many of you will be buying or gifting new computers, phones, and tablets — and possibly dealing with moving important files from old devices to new ones. Google Drive for Mac, PC, Android, and iOS devices can help you easily move your files and keep them all safe going forward.

When you store important files in Google Drive they’re not only safe, they’re accessible from any device. And finding them again from any device should be super easy so we’re rolling out a new search experience to get you better results — even faster.Drive lets you search across all your files, regardless of the device they came from. To make that easier, you can use these new ways to find your files:

Narrow your search to a file type from the search box on Android, iOS, and the web.

Open advanced search instantly from the search box.

Access recent files or search Drive from the home screen using 3D Touch on iOS.

Search Drive using the iOS search bar without opening the Drive app.

Several behind-the-scenes improvements give your search queries even better results than they did before. And to get more specific results, anyone can now do the following:

Search for shared files by file owner using their name or email address.

Use advanced search options like the date a file was modified, words it contains, or who it was shared with.

This is all part of an ongoing effort to make Drive the easiest place to find your files. Look for these features as they roll out in the coming weeks.Posted by Steen Andersson, Group Product Manager, Google Drive

When you store your important files somewhere, you want to have peace of mind that they'll be safe and easy-to-access later. That's why everything in Drive is always encrypted. And why we encourage all of our users to complete a simple Security Checkup every now and then. Of course, this should include file sharing as well — it should be super easy to control who sees what.

With this in mind, we're making a number of improvements to Drive today, so you can store your photos and documents safely and get them where they need to go.Get sharing notifications
You may have noticed recently that it’s easier to select and share multiple files and folders on iOS and Android — but checking your email may not be the fastest way to find out when something’s been shared with you. So starting today, you’ll receive mobile notifications to alert you immediately when files or folders are shared with you and a single tap can take you right to them.

Request and grant file access
Drive lets you quickly grab a link to files and folders so you can share them using other apps, but if you share a link before you’ve granted access, the person you’re sending it to won’t be able to open it. Now, the Drive for Android app lets recipients request access with a single tap. And on Android and iOS, file owners will be notified of the request instantly so they can quickly grant access.

Preview files without a Google Account on Android
Until now, you needed a Google Account to view shared files on your Android device. Now, you can do this without a Google Account just like on the web.

Some of the features mentioned are already available. Look for the rest to roll out in the coming week or so.

Whether it’s recounting a story, watching a video, or enjoying photos with family and friends, our memories help us reconnect with what’s really important. And every month, nearly a billion people use WhatsApp to do just that.

Of course: you don’t want your memories stuck on your phone. (What if something happens?!) So starting today, WhatsApp for Android lets you create a private backup of your chat history, voice messages, photos, and videos in Google Drive. And once you do, you can restore everything on a new device with just a couple taps.

The new backup feature is rolling out over the next few months, so keep an eye on your WhatsApp settings to see if it’s available. In the meantime, please visit our Help Center if you have questions about today’s update. And check out our developer site if you’d like to integrate your app with Google Drive.Posted by Scott Johnston, Director of Product Management

With Google Drive, you can keep all your important files in one place, then open them with your choice of apps and devices. Building on this open approach, we recently made it possible to launch your favorite desktop applications directly from Google Drive. And today we’re taking it a step further by bringing Google Drive to Microsoft Office.
Using the new Google Drive plug-in, people using Office for Windows can now open their Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents stored in Drive, then save any changes back to Drive once they’re done.

If you’re working on a document, spreadsheet or presentation that’s on your computer, you can also save that file to Google Drive, directly from the Office apps. This is especially useful for sharing files with teams, or for accessing your files across devices.

With this plug-in, you can use the apps you’re already comfortable with, while benefitting from the security and convenience of Google Drive.

Posted by Darrell Kuhn, Technical Program Manager, Google Drive plug-in(Cross-posted on the Google for Work Blog.)

We take all kinds of photos, from pics of friends and family to snapshots of a scenic view. We also use photos for more practical purposes, like planning a wedding, remodeling a kitchen, or capturing meeting notes from a whiteboard. But while you may snap all sorts of images, your experience across Google should be seamless and consistent. That’s why starting today, the photos and videos you keep in Google+ Photos will also be available in Google Drive.

To get started, just look for the new Photos menu in Drive for Android, iOS and the web. From there you'll be able to manage your photos and videos alongside other types of files. For example, you can now add pictures of wedding venues and cakes to the same Drive folder as your guest list and budget.

Google+ Photos will of course keep helping you store, edit and share your pics. But if you want to organize all your files, all in one place, Drive is here to help. You’ll start seeing your photos in Drive today—immediately if they’re new, and a few weeks for your entire library—so give it a try, and let us know what you think. For more specifics, you can always visit the Help Center.

This Safer Internet Day, we’re reminded how important online safety is and hope you’ll use this as an opportunity to take 2 minutes to complete a simple Security Checkup. While everything stored in Drive is always encrypted in transit and at rest in Google’s custom-built data centers, this checkup ensures you’re making the most of the 24/7 protection you already get from Google. As our way of saying thanks for completing the checkup by 17 February 2015, we’ll give you a permanent 2 gigabyte bump in your Google Drive storage plan.

It takes just a couple of minutes and, unlike other checkups, it won’t leave you feeling guilty about not flossing. Here’s what it does:

Ensures your account recovery information is currentIf we detect suspicious activity in your account, we use your recovery info to get in touch and make sure no one but you gains access.

Lets you review recent sign-in activityReviewing this lets you validate the sign-ins are coming from you and not someone who shouldn't be using your credentials.

Confirms the apps and devices that access some account informationThis step lets you monitor this list and remove apps and devices that don't need access to your account any more.

After you’ve gone through the checkup successfully, you’ll see three green checkboxes (see below) that confirm you’re eligible for the free storage and, more importantly, that you’ve taken steps to enhance your online safety. We’ll be granting the storage automatically to everyone around 28 February 2015 and we’ll send you an email when your adjustment is complete.

Ideally, you’ll revisit this checkup every so often or anytime your account changes, like when you get a new phone or replace an old laptop. While this is just one way to help you stay safe online, you can find even more tools and tips in the Google Safety Center.

UPDATE: Google Apps for Work and Google Apps for Education users are not eligible for the bonus storage but should still consider taking the Security Checkup.

<Cross-posted from the new Google Docs blog--your dedicated source for all things Docs, Sheets and Slides and more.>

With Google Docs we want to help you work better, everywhere you are. So today’s Android and iOS updates for Docs, Sheets and Slides make it easier to get things done while you’re on the go.

Doing, not just viewing
You’ve asked for more editing tools on mobile, so today’s improvements include real-time spell-checking in documents, hiding rows and columns in spreadsheets, and grouping shapes in presentations.

Making everything more accessible
If you’re blind or have low vision, you can use screen-reading services like TalkBack on Android and VoiceOver on iOS to create, edit, and share files in Docs, Sheets and Slides. The updated apps also respond well to screen magnification, in case you need to zoom in for a closer look.

These updates are rolling out now, so look for them on Google Play and the App Store (Docs, Sheets, Slides), and download the new versions as they become available. For even more news and tips, you can now follow Google Docs on Google+, Twitter and Facebook.